Ayasha growled something unintelligable, and fell asleep. Her body weak from giving birth, laid still. Blood trickled from between her legs as the placenta removed itself from the wall of her womb, and exited her body.

Geralt nuzzled Ayasha's neck, and gave each of the pups a thorough licking to clean them off since Ayasha was "down for the count" as it were.

Looking at the mess of her placenta, he had a faint idea of what to do. Not knowing anything else to do, he went with what he did: opening his jaws, he scooped it up and swallowed it. One, to deter would-be predators, and two... Well, he didn't exactly know the second reason. Once it was down, he made a weird face at the taste of it and went to lay down beside Ayasha so that the newborns were between them.

Looking at them, he could see the very powers that had made him what he was right there and then, begin to work on the pups; right there, he decided that the smallest one, the female, would grow to be like him. Powerful and decisive, cunning and wily. Of that, there would be no doubt.

With those thoughts whirling about his mind, he lay his head down upon his paws and slipped into the meditation that had replaced natural sleep for him.

As Ayasha slept, Geralt remained alert, something just didn't feel right and he knew it.

But what he didn't know was that he wasn't the only wolf to pass through the veil of death and return to the land of the living. He had inadvertently joined the ranks of the Guardians. Creatures blessed and cursed with immortality, his 'life force' was that of the forest. He WAS the forest now. And something was threatening it.

Ayasha wouldn't be able to feel it, she had yet to pass through the Veil.

Geralt sighed; he couldn't figure out what was wrong, so he decided just to leave it alone. He had a mate and pups to take care of, he couldn't be distracted.

Ayasha opened her eyes, and stood up to stretch her legs. The pups lay sleeping under her. Walking to the mouth of the cave, she breathed in the fresh cool air of the outside. Sitting down, she began to groom herself.

Ayasha followed Geralt. Laying down beside the pups, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 'It happened when I was only a few months old. My brothers had been killed by humans, and my sister, killed by another male.' Tears rolled down her muzzle as the memories coursed through her. 'My parents and I were out hunting, when humans came upon us. I was hiding in a bush, but they were in plain view.' Taking a gasping breath, her words became quiet. 'They were both killed, and their bodies taken by the humans. Leaving me alone. After I learned to live alone, until I came across the pack I have been with for so long, and I am alpha of.' Ayasha kept her eyes closed, but her body shook with her crying.

'Death haunts me. It wants to reclaim me, but it can't. My willpower allowed me to return, regain a body and because of that, Death can't take me. The memories of what I saw in the afterlife would be enough to turn the bravest wolf's blood to ice.'

A thought occurred to him, 'Actually, I might be able to use that as a weapon...'

'The only thing that could come close to threatening me, you or the pups would have to be another beast from beyond. Anything else, I could plant my memories of death in them, and they would perish from fright.'

Drawing in several short, but deep breaths, Geralt nodded, 'Something is indeed wrong. But what the smell is, I can not place.'

Ayasha nodded. She swiveled her ears, and flicked her tail. 'Yes. Well if anything threatens my young I will not hesitate to kill.' She said with venom in her voice.

'Just be aware, the only thing that could do us any harm is another beast from beyond, and they are not so easy to defeat. Quite the opposite.' Geralt sighed as he looked out from the cave to the outside world. He jumped and yelped slightly as he felt a sharp pain on his stomach, whipping around, he saw one of the pups, jaws locked onto his flesh, 'Ow. They've already begun to grow.'

Ayasha laughed. "Come here young one." She said. The pup let go of his father, and went back to his mother. Licking him on the head, she smiled. "Be still and sleep with your siblings." She said kindly. The pup yawned and laid beside her, falling asleep quickly. 'They will be good fighters.' She said affectionately, as she licked her young.

'Fighters? No, try maulers.' He grumbled as he gingerly licked the bite wound, which, remarkably, had bled slightly. Laughing slightly, if just one di- He yelped again as the female pup suddenly leaped onto his back and bit into the flesh on the back of his neck, 'And I woke the pups.' He said shortly.

Ayasha laughed. 'Oh Geralt. I think she loves you.' She said as she watched the little female suddenly licked her father on the head. 'She wants some attention.' Ayasha chuckled, and wrapped her body around the other pups who were still sleeping.

'Sure has a funny way of showing it.' He grumbled. Twisting his body, he dislodged the small one from his back, turning, he looked her in the eye.

'D-d-daddy.' The pup squeaked.

A tear leaped to his eye, 'And the magic takes hold.'

Ayasha looked at him and said, 'Awwww.' The little pup looked at her mother. 'M-m-mommy.' Ayasha's eyes filled with tears. 'Oh my little one.' She said affectionately. Looking at Geralt. 'Considering she spoke to you first, why don't you name her?'

Ayasha nodded. 'That's perfect.' She said. The female pup, now named Azure, leapt from her father's back, and nuzzled his front right leg. Ayasha smiled, and turned her attention to her now awake pups who had begun to nurse.

Ayasha looked at him, as Azure mad her way back to her mother to nurse. 'You will do no such thing.' Ayasha said defiantly. 'What if they follow you back here? The pups are old enough or strong enough to make a run for it or defend themselves. What about me?' She yelled at him.

Ayasha looked at him and growled. 'Yes I remember how we got up here. However I happen to be too weak yet to do it again. And the pups do not know how to, as they are not old enough.' She said, protectively and defiantly. Softening a little bit, she said in a loving tone. 'However if they do come here, than I will not stop you from killing them.'

Going to lay near the mouth of the cave, Geralt couldn't help but stifle a sigh as he looked over the forest, now in the full activity of the day. Birds singing, rodents scurrying about through the tree tops; in the distance he could see the dark plume of smoke that marked where the humans lived.

Again he sighed as he thought to himself, 'When life ends, we shall persist...'